Friday, March 4, 2016

Friday Feature :: Paola Phillips of Sweet Julia!

Today's Friday Feature is all about Paola!

*
Me, photographed by my 3 year old, she asked me to pose just the same I
ask of her when I take her photos

A brief introduction:

PP: I’m a stay at home mom to two beautiful
children ages 3 and 5. I am hyper by nature and love creating things, from
candles, painting and bows all the way to sewing. I was born in Lima, Peru and
moved here 15 years ago. I am married to an all Texan man (think love of steaks
and the outdoors) who lets me dream and create without complaining much. The
main reason I blog is because my husband is tired of hearing me talk about
sewing, so I had to find a place to express myself.

*
My children

Q: Do you have a favorite project that you've created?

PP: The Allie Oop dress I created for the great pattern hack. First, because I worked in a different way this time: I had the fabric
first, so I created my project around the fabric instead of having a pattern in
mind and then going to find the fabric. It was also the first time I changed a
pattern other than by length. It changed the way I create!

*
My sewing Space. I kicked my children out of the game room and took it
over. They have toys all over the house, so I thought It'd only be fair I had
my own sewing space. They will survive.

Q: What are your goals for the future, both work
wise and life?

PP: My main goal is to be able to make an income
doing what I love most, which is creating/sewing so I have the flexibility I
need to spend time with my family.

-Q: What are you doing when you’re not creating or
at work? What hobbies do you have?

PP: I love spending time with the kiddos! I have
memberships to the zoo and museums so I love to take them out on little
excursions.

-Q: What would people be surprised to learn about
you?

PP: That I wanted to be a lawyer! I actually went
to law school back in my native Peru and dropped out after three semesters, now I
am pursuing a degree in Art.

-Q: Do you have any favorite blogs, magazines that
you read?

PP: I love Hailey Crouse’s Welcome to the MouseHouse, actually her Norah dress was the first PDF pattern I ever bought and
made. I also get magazines that my sister sends from Europe, I guess it never
hurts to see what the rest of the world is sewing right?

-Q: What else should we know about you and your
work?

PP: Well, I am a perfectionist at heart, so anytime I
make anything, I give it my best. Even when I make clothes for sale, I make
them as if they were for my own daughter (and sometimes I make things I don’t
have the heart to sell so we keep them.)

-Q: Do you have any tips or inspiring words for
others?

PP: Sure, I remember feeling like my work wasn’t
good enough, or didn’t look professional enough, then one day I looked at one
of my daughter’s store bought clothes and got a confidence boost: The stitching
was not perfect, some seams were a little uneven, and I paid money for those
clothes. After that, I was never as hard on myself.

-Q: Do you admire any artists, photographers, and
people?

PP: Of course! The list is too long but I sure am
constantly inspired by all the women that are able to make an income creating.
I am most inspired by my mother, who at the age of 55 decided to finally go to
college and earned her degree at age 60.